There are many black bean brownie recipes all over the internet, and I have tried a fair number of them too. In general, these recipes use black beans in place of flour, to create a "grain-free" product. There are many variations on this theme -- not all of them are vegan, and some use sugar and oils too. Below is the recipe that I created. It is not the most decadent of those I have tried, but it is my favorite because it is made entirely from whole foods, with no added junk, yet gives me a nice chocolate "fix" without too much fat while being made entirely of unprocessed ingredients. Be sure to use an, "All Fruit" fruit spread -- that is one that does not have added sugars in it. Also -- I use Deglet dates for this, they are smaller, drier, and cost a lot less than Medjool dates. The finished brownies store for at least a week in the refrigerator and also freeze very well.

Place the beans in a large strainer and hold under running water to clean them off, then remove as much of the liquid as you can, by bouncing the strainer a few times over the sink. Transfer the beans to a powerful blender.

Add the dates (checking to make sure there are no pit piecies!), almonds, fruit spread and vanilla extract and blend on high for a few minutes until all is smooth. You might need to stop and scrape the sides down a few times.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and using a fork, stir in the cacao or coco powder until well blended.

Take a 7 x 7 inch glass or metal baking dish and press a 12 x12 inch piece of parchment paper into the bottom. Carefully spoon the mixture into the parchment paper lining the pan and set another piece of parchment paper on top, and then use your hands to press the mixture into a perfectly level square in the pan -- about one half to three quarters of an inch deep, then remove the top layer of parchment once you get the brownies shaped properly.

Bake brownies in center of oven for about 40 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes before cutting.